History of Guatemala national football team in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: June 17, 2025

The Guatemala national football team represents Guatemala in international men's football. It's governed by the Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala. Established in 1919, the team has been a FIFA affiliate since 1946 and is a member of CONCACAF, the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football.

August 1902: Creation of First Football Team

On August 23, 1902, Guatemala created its first football team.

1919: Team Founding

In 1919, the Guatemala national football team was founded.

September 1921: First International Game

On September 16, 1921, Guatemala played its first international game against Honduras in the Independence Centenary Games and won 9-0.

1943: CCCF Championship Runner-Up

In 1943, Guatemala was the runner-up in the CCCF Championship.

1946: CCCF Championship Runner-Up

In 1946, Guatemala was the runner-up in the CCCF Championship.

1946: FIFA Affiliation

In 1946, the Guatemala national football team became affiliated with FIFA.

1948: CCCF Championship Runner-Up

In 1948, Guatemala was the runner-up in the CCCF Championship.

1948: Stadium Construction

In 1948, the Estadio Nacional Mateo Flores was built.

1950: Highest Record Attendance

In 1950, the Estadio Nacional Mateo Flores had its highest record attendance of 82,000 during the Central American and Caribbean Games.

1950: Stadium Hosted Games

In 1950, the stadium hosted the Central American and Caribbean Games.

1952: Stadium Renamed

In 1952, the stadium was renamed after Mateo Flores.

1958: World Cup Qualifying Participation

In 1958, Guatemala began participating in the qualifying rounds of the World Cup, finishing last in their group.

1961: Joined CONCACAF

In 1961, Guatemala joined CONCACAF.

1962: World Cup Qualifying Performance

In 1962, Guatemala drew against Costa Rica (4-4) and Honduras (1-1) in the World Cup qualifying rounds but still finished last in their group.

1965: CONCACAF Championship Runner-Up

In 1965, Guatemala finished as runners-up in the CONCACAF Championship.

1966: FIFA Refusal

In 1966, FIFA refused Guatemala's participation in the qualifying round for administrative reasons.

1967: CONCACAF Championship Win

In 1967, Guatemala won the CONCACAF Championship.

1967: Gold Cup Win

In 1967, Guatemala won the Gold Cup for the only time in their history, starting with a 2-1 win against Haiti and concluding with a 2-0 win over Nicaragua.

1968: Olympic Tournament Qualification

In 1968, Guatemala qualified for the Olympic football tournament in Mexico City, progressing to the next round after wins against Czechoslovakia and Thailand.

1969: CONCACAF Championship Runner-Up

In 1969, Guatemala finished as runners-up in the CONCACAF Championship.

1976: Olympic Tournament Appearance

In 1976, Guatemala's national team competed at the Olympic Games.

1983: Pan American Games Bronze Medal

In 1983, Guatemala earned a bronze medal at the Pan American Games in Caracas, Venezuela.

1988: Olympic Tournament Appearance

In 1988, Guatemala's national team competed at the Olympic Games.

1992: Olympic Tournament Change

Since 1992, Football at the Summer Olympics has been an under-23 tournament.

1996: CONCACAF Gold Cup Performance

In 1996, Guatemala finished fourth in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

1999: Under-23 Tournament

In 1999, football at the Pan American Games became an under-23 tournament.

2001: UNCAF Nations Cup Win

In 2001, Guatemala won the UNCAF Nations Cup.

2006: World Cup Qualifying

In 2006, Guatemala participated in the World Cup qualifying rounds, finishing fifth and missing the play-off spot. Juan Carlos Plata and Martin Machón announced their retirement from international football.

2007: UNCAF Nations Cup and Gold Cup

In 2007, Guatemala finished third at the UNCAF Nations Cup and reached the knockout stage in the Gold Cup.

2008: Departure of Hernán Darío Gómez

In early 2008, Hernán Darío Gómez departed as coach after a 5-0 loss against the under-23 Argentine team.

May 2010: Ever Hugo Almeida Appointed Coach

In May 2010, Ever Hugo Almeida was appointed as Guatemala's next coach.

2010: Ramon Maradiaga Returns as Coach

In 2010, Ramon Maradiaga returned as coach of the national team.

2011: Copa Centroamericana and Gold Cup Qualification

In 2011, Guatemala finished fifth in the Copa Centroamericana and qualified for the 2011 Gold Cup.

January 2013: Copa Centroamericana Participation

In January 2013, Guatemala participated in the Copa Centroamericana, managing only three draws and ultimately losing to Panama in the fifth-place match.

2014: World Cup Qualifiers and Player Bans

In 2014, during World Cup qualifiers, three key players were banned for life due to involvement in money laundering and bribery related to fixing fixtures.

October 2016: FIFA Suspension

On 28 October 2016, the Guatemalan football federation was suspended indefinitely by FIFA due to corruption allegations.

2017: Missed Gold Cup Qualification

In 2017, the football team missed their chance on qualifying on the CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament.

May 2018: FIFA Suspension Lifted

On May 31, 2018, the FIFA suspension on the Guatemalan football federation was lifted.

2018: International Meetings

In 2018, Guatemala had mixed results, including a 0-3 loss to Mexico.

2018: World Cup Qualification

In 2018, Guatemala resumed normal operations after their FIFA suspension and went through World Cup Qualification, but they did not advance beyond qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

2019: Missed Gold Cup Qualification

In 2019, the football team missed their chance on qualifying on the CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament.

2020: Pre-Qualification Matches

In early 2020, before 2022 World Cup qualification, Guatemala had mixed results.

2022: FIFA World Cup Qualification

In 2022, Guatemala did not advance beyond qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup due to Curaçao having more goals scored.

2022: International Meetings

In 2022, Guatemala had mixed results in international meetings.

2022: Pre-Qualification Matches

In 2022, before 2022 World Cup qualification, Guatemala had mixed results.

2022: Friendly against Argentina

In June 2024, Guatemala played against 2022 FIFA World Cup champions Argentina, losing 4-1 with their only goal being an own goal by Lisandro Martinez.

2023: CONCACAF Gold Cup Performance

In 2023, Guatemala finished fifth in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

2023: CONCACAF Gold Cup and Nations League

In 2023, Guatemala had a historic run in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, finishing fifth overall. They also participated in the 2023-24 CONCACAF Nations League, finishing 4th in Group A of League A.

2024: Friendlies and 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification

In 2024, Guatemala played a friendly against Iceland and Ecuador. They also saw victories during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification in their first 2 games, winning 6-0 against Dominica and 0-3 against the British Virgin Islands.

March 2025: Caps and Goals Update

As of 25 March 2025, caps and goals are correct after the match against Guyana.

June 2025: Match against Jamaica

As of June 2025, Guatemala played a match against Jamaica.

June 2025: Friendly Match against El Salvador

On 1 June 2025, the players were called up for the friendly against El Salvador.

2025: CONCACAF Gold Cup Qualification

In 2025, Guatemala qualified for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup after beating Guyana 4-3 on aggregate in the preliminary round.

2026: FIFA World Cup Qualification Advance

During the second round of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification, Guatemala secured their advance to the third round of qualification after beating Dominican Republic 4-2.